Phoenix made his way towards one of the bunks and settled himself down with a sigh. "L, I understand."
Phoenix didn't think he would have been able to sleep, but as a yawn escaped his lips, he turned over and was asleep before he knew it.
49
Phoenix felt someone shake him on the shoulder. He covered his mouth, an earth-shattering yawn threatening to rip his jaw in half as he opened his eyes. Looking into the smiling face of L, he asked the only question to come to mind: "Are we there yet?"
"Not quite, handsome. We should be coming out of Flaring any moment though," said L.
"Good." Getting off his bunk, Phoenix felt worse than before he went to bed. His stiff limbs groaned in protest as he stretched and twisted them.
Freyan still lay motionless in the bunk opposite. It didn't seem like he had moved at all.
Phoenix let out another yawn and followed L. There was nothing he could do for Freyan now. He would have to deal with that problem at a later time.
As they entered the cockpit, Saoirse turned her head and addressed them both.
"Good, I'm glad you're awake. We couldn't concentrate with all the snoring."
"It's good to see you too, Saoirse. What have you been up to while I was recovering?"
"We've just been going through all the ways we're gonna die. Would you like to hear them?" asked Plowstow.
"I'll pass."
"If I said it once, I'll say it again--I wanna die at a ripe old age. How come you love Earth so much? There must be a million other planets like it. It can't be that special."
"It's pretty special, Plowstow. How long till we arrive?"
"Not long. The prison was in what you would call the backwater of space. There isn't much out in this region apart from your little planet," said Saoirse.
"Backwater, right," said Phoenix with a blank expression.
"Backwater. It means places that ain't all that developed." Plowstow smirked.
"Right. So we got no plan?" asked Phoenix.
"No," said all three at once.
"We were waiting on you," said Saoirse.
Looking from Plowstow to L to Saoirse, Phoenix didn't know what to say. Scratching his chin, he stared out into the depths of space. "Okay. First things first. What weapons do we have?"
"A few plasma guns that we found on this ship; not much else," said Saoirse.
"What weapons does the ship have?" Phoenix got blank stares from all three. He groaned. "I'll take that as none. Can we at least ram into the Warden's ship?"
"Not if you want to be alive afterwards," said L.
"Argh! You lot are not giving me much to work with, you know. I have a ship with no weapon systems, a handful of guns, and that's it. Shit!" Phoenix punched a metal panel. "Fuck it. Okay, this is what we'll do. Once we get to Earth, they should have landed or be somewhere in orbit around it. We hold back so they don't see us, follow them until they land, and attack then."
Three blank stares sent his way did nothing to boost his confidence.
"Look, it's the best plan we have. Unless someone else has a better one?"
Silence filled the room as Phoenix looked from face to face. Crossing his arms over his chest, he gave himself a small nod.
"We should be out of Flaring in a minute. Only then will we know what we are facing," said Saoirse.
Phoenix held his breath and waited for the viewing portal to show him something familiar. Something he had seen countless times in movies--the beautiful marble that was Earth.
He needed to know it was still in one piece, that the twins were safe. He had promised to keep them safe, and that was what he intended to do. He'd never broken a promise to them, and he wasn't going to start now. Not when he was so close.
"We should be out in five."
Phoenix's heart began to pound faster.
"Four!"
The sweat from his palms forced him to wipe his hands on his trousers.
"Three!"
His mouth was dry.
"Two!"
Phoenix licked his cracked lips.
"One!"
He swallowed the saliva that had pooled in his mouth.
There was a different whine to the engines as the ship dropped out of Flaring. Phoenix cast a soulful eye down on his home planet. There she was, in all her glory. Phoenix leaned forward so he could get as close to the display screens as possible. Looking at the main one, he couldn't see any sign of another ship. The screens linked to cameras on different parts of the ship all came up blank.
"I...can't see anything. Where the hell are they?" asked Phoenix.
"I'll scan for any other engine signatures. The scanners on this are shit at best, but we should be at a close enough range for us to pick them up," Saoirse said.
Boom!
Phoenix and L were thrown into the backs of Plowstow's and Saoirse's chairs. The whole ship shook with the force of an earthquake. Lights spluttered and went off, then came back on again.
"We're hit. We're hit!" said Plowstow.
"Shields are down by fifty percent. Engine one is failing. Engine two is holding...barely," Saoirse said, reading the faults of the ship like they were items to be picked up on her next trip to the grocery shop.
"Where?"
"Behind us."
"Move, move, move!" Phoenix roared.
"Taking evasive movements," said Saoirse calmly.
Phoenix grabbed the back of Saoirse's chair to keep himself from getting knocked off his feet as the ship banked left and right. He could see bolts of red light flying past them. "What are they firing at us?"
"You name it. Lasers, osmium shells, plasma cannons. I don't think this ship can take another hit."
Boom!
Phoenix's shoulder slammed into the wall. He felt something click. Damn! He just hoped it wasn't broken.
Smoke bellowed from the ship's consoles and the wail of sirens pierced the air. The faint smell of an electrical fire tickled Phoenix's nose hairs.
"I stand corrected. We can take another hit, but now the shields are down to twenty percent and engine two is also failing. We need to land now!" Saoirse said, the first sign of real panic leaking into her voice.
"Head for Earth!" Phoenix yelled over the screaming sirens and warning lights.
"L, secure Freyan to something. This is going to be a crash landing," said Saoirse over her shoulder.
As they all stared at the screen, the image of Earth grew larger and larger.
"We're coming in too fast!" said Plowstow.
"Can't help it. With only one engine, this is the best you're going to get. We're entering the Earth's atmosphere."
"I hope you all know we're about to die," said Plowstow.
"We should be okay, we still have engine...shit," Saoirse said in a small voice.
"What?"
"We've lost all engines!"
50
"Brace yourselves!"
Phoenix looked around and found the only thing that would give him some sort of security. Wrapping his arms around a hanging wire, he fitted himself in a little groove in the wall.
Better than nothing, he thought.
Trees blurred in front of the viewing screen faster than he could keep track of. They looked thick and dense. Where the hell were they?
Boom!
Something hit the ship hard. Phoenix felt himself rise off his feet. Hitting his bad shoulder again, he gritted his teeth.
The whole ship shook and shuddered.
Bang!
Another hit. Sparks flew from the dashboard, smoke starting to trail from different sections. Everyone was thrown sideways as the ship lurched left.
"I'm trying to keep her steady," said Saoirse.
"Try harder. I'm too young to die."
Phoenix tried to lift his head up, but saw nothing other than greenery in front of him. It looked like an oversized green blanket had been placed over the front of the ship.
"We're coming in hot. Here we go!" said Saoirse.
The ship slammed into the gr
ound, and the whole thing bounced high in the air upon contact. Strapped to their chairs, Plowstow and Saoirse didn't move. But the same couldn't be said for Phoenix. With nothing to secure him to the ship, he found himself thrown into the air and then slapped against the ceiling.
The wind was knocked from his lungs and his vision went white for a few seconds before it returned again. He wished it hadn't--he saw the floor coming to meet him as he fell back down. Hitting the floor with a slap that would be worthy of any belly-flop hall of fame, Phoenix groaned.
He could feel the blood running from his nose as he lifted his face, tasting iron as it made its way into his mouth. He spat it out.
The ship continued to drag its ass along the ground before another bone-jarring halt. They appeared to stop moving.
"What the fuck?" said Phoenix.
"Is everyone alive?" asked Saoirse.
Phoenix tried to move his limbs. Everything seemed okay, apart from the searing pain in his shoulder. He could just about move it, though barely. He would have to get Freyan to check it over if they ever managed to get out of this mess alive.
"Appears I am," replied Phoenix.
"Stop complaining then."
"Next time you all suggest we break out of a prison, leave me be. I miss my nice, quiet cell," said Plowstow.
"We're dead on the ground. This ship won't move again. And it appears we may have company soon."
"Is everyone okay?" L asked, making her way towards him.
"We're fine, how about you and Freyan?" asked Phoenix.
"There is still no movement from Freyan. I'm okay," said L with a half-smile.
Phoenix looked at all their faces and knew that something had to be done. They couldn't sit here and wait for death to come knocking.
"Right, everyone listen up. Saoirse, Plowstow and I will draw the guards' fire and attention away from the wreckage. L, you stay hidden on the ship with Freyan. I would suggest we move him, but he weighs a ton. Once we've dealt with the Warden we'll meet back here," said Phoenix.
"Once again, not the most complicated plan," said Saoirse.
"This plan is bound to fail. I can already feel the shackles on my hands and feet."
"That's the spirit, Plowstow. Everyone arm themselves. Remember, shoot to kill. No mercy, we only get one chance at this. Let's go."
Heads bowing before the jungle heat, Phoenix, Saoirse and Plowstow made their way out of the battered ship. The trees around them dwarfed the ship, ascending so high into the canopy that the tops were invisible to them.
Phoenix slapped an insect that tried to make him its lunch. Looking towards the forest's entrance, the open scar they had left was ugly. Trees had bent at all different angles. The ship's path had sent up fresh earth to the surface as the ship acted like a rake through the forest. Animals called to each other in wild panic. The air was filled with fear.
Phoenix looked upwards as a sleek ship slowly came towards the crash. He knew they would be easy to find. They had left a trail of destruction that could be seen a mile above the forest.
"Saoirse, you take the left. Plowstow, you take the right. I'll come down the middle. Remember, draw their attention and fire away from the crash. Judging by the amount of guards the Warden left back in the prison, we shouldn't be looking at a large force. Let's go," said Phoenix.
They all sprinted low towards the now-descending ship. Phoenix made a straight beeline for it. Getting as close as he could, he hid behind a fallen tree. Resting his back against the tree trunk, he had to rise on tiptoe to see over it. Rapid breaths came one after another, and Phoenix had to slow them down.
He concentrated on things that would anchor him in the present. The reassuring weight of the plasma gun in his hand, the throbbing in his shoulder that was dulling as the adrenaline kicked in, sweat trickling down the small of his back.
Phoenix closed his eyes and thought about the things he still had to do, things that he couldn't leave for anyone else if he didn't get through this.
For them! All for them!
Phoenix peered over the top of the trunk once more and saw the ship had landed. The ramp lowered and Shanks came down it, followed by the Warden, and an escort of five guards. Seven against three. Phoenix had gone up against greater odds and survived, but he had known the area. He'd had the field advantage over the enemy.
But out here? Everything was equal.
Coming to a halt at the bottom of the ramp, the group looked around.
Phoenix hoped the other two would follow his signal. He raised his plasma gun over the trunk and took aim. Holding his breath, Phoenix waited. Looking from left to right, Shanks led the way forward.
Not yet. Wait for it.
The group moved forward with unabashed confidence. They must have thought any survivors of the crash would be injured. Too injured for them to worry about.
Phoenix would change that mindset.
Levelling his plasma gun, he fired. As soon as he pulled the trigger, one plasma bolt emerged from the left and another from the right.
Two went wide. Only one hit its target.
One down. Six to go.
"Take cover! Take cover! Protect the Warden! Shanks commands you!"
They tried to race back up the ramp, but fire from their left prevented them from doing so. Instead, they ran and dove for whatever cover they could find, while plasma fire rained down on them.
Return fire quickly followed, and Phoenix had to drop down as the top of the trunk got hit repeatedly.
"Shanks! Oh, Shanks. Oh, Shanks! Why don't you come out and play?" Phoenix teased.
"Shanks sees Mr Jones is still alive!"
"Alive and kicking, you ugly, downright stupid, no-brain motherfucker!"
"Shanks, do not let him goad you into doing something stupid. He is only--"
"I knew you were too much of a pussy to do anything that takes real balls. You going to listen to your master and not do anything about it? Tell me--"
"Shanks, don't listen!" echoed the Warden's voice among the trees.
"Shanks, tell me, how did a race as stupid as yours ever get off your planet? That's what truly amazes me! If your race can do it, it should take the humans no time at all."
"Shanks is smarter than you, Mr Jones!" the head guard called back.
"Is he now? Well, I would say that I fucked your mother, but I think that would be an insult to me! I don't know how your father went through with it," Phoenix laughed.
"Argh!" The roar from Shanks's throat silenced the animals around them.
"Come and get me, you ugly fucker!"
Phoenix sprinted off through the bushes and didn't stop to see if he was being followed. He didn't need to. He knew his plan had worked. Separating Shanks from the group would be one less job for the other two.
Plus, he owed the bastard for his time in the Hole.
"Shanks, no." The Warden's booming voice brought a smile to Phoenix's lips.
Here. We. Go.
51
"Shanks, that fool. Damn him!" The Warden kicked a lump of dirt. Looking around the men he still had, the Warden scanned each and every face. They would have to do. He didn't really have a choice. "Listen to me. The enemy is out there." He pointed to trees and long grass. "They are weak. They are injured. They are afraid. They are few in number and lack the firepower we have. They think they're smart. No, no. We're smarter."
Plasma fire brought all their heads down. It kicked up the dirt around them and made the animals overhead scream in fear.
"You and you," said the Warden pointing to two guards. "Circle round to the right. Kill whoever you find. You two with me. We take the left. Go."
The group broke away and headed to their appointed locations. Keeping his head low, the Warden hurried with a speed that belied his appearance. Gone was the elderly slouch and the slow, deliberate walk. It was replaced by someone who wanted to stay alive. Someone who had pulled himself up from the slums and made something of himself.
When a plasma bolt hit a
tree trunk next to him, he quickened his pace.
"Quicker, you fools!" The Warden brought his plasma cane over his shoulder and fired off a volley of shots.
The deeper his little group travelled into the jungle, the dimmer it became. Seeing a shadow streak to his left, the Warden brought up his cane and fired. He hit nothing but shadows. He looked at his two guards and motioned for them to stop. "Did you see that?"
Both shook their heads in confusion. The Warden grunted in annoyance.
"I was sure that--"
A twig snapping to their right brought a hail of plasma fire that way. With smoking guns resting in their hands, all three looked at each other. The Warden pointed to one of his guards and motioned for him to investigate further. Looking crestfallen, the guard sloped over into the undergrowth.
Plasma gun in one hand, cane in the other, the Warden waited with bated breath. He could feel his two hearts drumming to the jungle heat. They thought they had him? Fools!
"Do you see them?" called the Warden.
"No. The trees and undergrowth makes it--"
A scream cut off what the guard was about to say. The Warden and the last remaining guard stared at each other, horror clear on both their faces.
"I didn't hear any gunfire. Do you think a beast from this jungle took him?"
"I don't know, Warden. Could be. I'm not well-versed in the animals of this region, let alone this planet," the guard replied.
The Warden rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, walking towards the sound they last heard. He knew it wasn't a wise thing to do. But he needed to know what had taken his guard and what they were dealing with.
He lifted a finger to his lips as he motioned for his guard to take the lead. Peering over the guard's shoulder, he didn't see anything. As the undergrowth rustled beneath their feet, both heads snapped back and forth.
The Warden heard a sharp intake of breath from the guard before he saw what had caused it.
The guard that had gone to investigate was dead. His throat was cut, the wound already starting to attract insects.
They both stared, dumbfounded. A crash to their left made them bring their guns up, firing into the unknown without a second thought of who or what it may be.
Breakout: (Space Outlaw 1) Page 18